Roofing.



Patented Apr. 3, I900.

. F. JAGER.

ROOFING;

' 'Application filed Nov. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

W EEEEEEI NITED, STATES ATENT 0 Fries,

FRANK JAGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROOFING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,495, dated April 3, 1900.

Application filed November 23, 1899. Serial No 738,057. (No model.v

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK JAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roofing, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to roofing; and its object is to provide a new and improved roofing composed generally of grooved parallel strips and battens so constructed and arranged that the nails by which the roofing is secured to the timbers may be covered in from the weather and at the same time the water which falls upon the roof may be led away from and shed by the roof, so that no water may enter between the battens and the strips and there maybe no leakage, and at the same time to so construct said. strips and battens that the shrinkage and swelling of the material of which the roofing is made, which in ordinary lumber is considerable, may be allowed for, making a water-tight roof, the parts of which shall nevertheless be free to move upon one another as the shrinkage or swelling of the roof occurs without any danger of breaking of the parts of which the roof is constructed and of leakage consequent thereon.

I accomplish the object of myinvention as hereinafter specified and as illustrated in the drawings.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a roof; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, being a cross-section on lines 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 3 indicates the timbers of the roof. 4 indicates cross-strips laid thereon.

5 indicates a series of parallel strips of wood or other suitable material,which extend downward from the ridge toward the eaves and are set with their adjacent edges a short distance apart and parallel with each other. The strips 5 are secured to the cross-strips 4 by nails 6, passing through the strips near their inner edges, as shown in Fig. 2. The strips 5 are provided near each edge on their upper surface with a groove 7, which is provided with a step 8, whose edge is parallel with the sides of the grooves 7 and with the edges of the strip.

' 9 indicates bat-tens which are provided each with a T-shaped head 10 and with a central longitudinal shoulder 11, adapted to lie in the open space between the parallel strips 5. The battens are secured in place, preferably, by buttons 12, which are rotatably mounted upon the under edges of the central longitudinal shoulder 11, as is shown in Fig. 2, by means of screws 13. They may, however, be secured in place in any appropriate manner. The head 10 of the batten 9 is provided upon each side of the central longitudinal shoulder 11 with parallel shoulders 14, which are adapted to engage with the grooves 7 and are of such height that when the batten is in place the bottoms of the shoulders 14 may rest upon and be supported by the steps 8. The shoulders 14 are such a distance apart from one another and from the central longitudinal shoulder 11 as to allow for lateral shrinkage or swelling of the strips 5 or of the battens 9, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

It will be obvious by referring particularly to Fig. 2 that the batten may be drawn down firmly, so that the shoulders 14: engage closely with the top of the step 8, so as to prevent any water which may fall upon the roof entering between the top of said step and the bottom of said shoulders, and at the same time when the strips 5 or the battens 9 shrink or swell laterally the shoulders 14 and steps 8 will be left free to move laterally upon one another as the said material swells or shrinks. The water which falls upon the roof will, it is obvious, flow downward on the strips and in the free portions of the grooves 7, while the heads of the battens, with their shoulders engaging said steps, so as to allow for shrinkage and swelling, as above described, will cover over the nails by which the material is secured to the roof-timbers, preventing their exposure to the weather, and will effectually prevent the entrance of any water between the battens and the strips and prevent leakage of the roof.

I have shown and described my invention as an improvement in roofing, and it is to roofing that it is particularly applicable, although it is obvious that it might be used for the siding of a building or for other similar purposes.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with parallel strips provided with grooves on their upper surface near and parallel with their edges, each groove being provided with a step parallel with the sides of said groove, of a batten having a T- shaped head provided with parallel shoulders'adapted to engage said grooves and be supported on said steps, said shoulders being spaced apart sufficiently to allow for shrinkage and swelling of the material of the roof, substantially as described.

2. The combination with parallel strips set a distance apart and provided with a groove near and parallel with each edge, said grooves being provided each with a step parallel with the edge of said strip, of a batten having a T- shaped head provided with a central longitudinal shoulder adapted to rest between said strips, and with a shoulder on each side of said central longitudinal shoulder parallel therewith and adapted to engage said grooves and be supported on said steps, said shoulders being spaced sufiiciently apart to allow for shrinkage and swelling of the material of the roof, substantially as described.

3. The combination with parallel strips set a distance apart and provided with a groove near and parallel with each edge, said grooves being provided each with a step parallel with the edge of said strip, of a batten having a T- shaped head provided with a central longitudinal shoulder adapted to rest between said strips, and with a shoulder on each side of said central longitudinal shoulder parallel therewith and adapted to engage said grooves and be supported on said steps, said shoulders being spaced sufficiently apart to allow for shrinkage and swelling of the material of the roof, and a fastening device adapted to secure said battens in position, substantially as described.

4C. The combination with parallel strips provided with grooves on their upper su rface near and parallel with their edges, each groove being provided with a step parallel with the sides of said groove, of a batten provided with parallel shoulders adapted to engage said grooves and be supported on said steps, said shoulders being spaced sufliciently apart to allow for shrinkage and swelling of the material of the roof, substantially as described.

FRANK JAGER.

\Vitnesses:

O. E. PICKARD, JULIA M. BRIs'roL. 

